Friday, May 5, 2017

What's next for 'Fridays With Anj'?

And it is hard for me to believe but we are coming up on my three year anniversary of blogging here on the Legion of Super-Bloggers. I remember the day that the Irredeemable Shag called me and asked if I wanted to join. And I jumped at the chance.

And over the course of those three years, I have covered some diverse takes on the team.

So what is next on the docket? Well ... let's look at what has come before first....

I can remember three years ago, Shag asking me what I would want to cover and I jumped at the chance to discuss the Five Years Later book. For over a year, I talked about that book and raved. Yes, the book sort of unraveled a bit at the end. And remember, Rokk becoming the Time Trapper was my jumping off point with the Legion.

The 5YL run was complex and deep and literary and wonderful. And it included one of the finest moments in the Legion, at least for me. Jan saving Roxxas ... and in doing so saving the Legion ... was incredible.

But the 5YL Legion isn't classic. It is a corner of the mythos. A beloved corner. But few people when hearing the words 'Legion of Super-Heroes' think of the 5YL run.

When my time reviewing the 5YL book ended, I moved onto the Threeboot.

Like 5YL, I thought the Threeboot was underappreciated. And it didn't hurt that Supergirl was a star of the book for a year. Less layered than the 5YL and a bit deliberate in pacing, the Threeboot was still a good and somewhat fresh take on the team. But like 5YL, the book loses its way as it closes. From the muddy Dennis Calero art in the middle to the rather awful Jim Shooter run, the Threeboot petered out.

But the Threeboot isn't classic either. When someone says 'Legion of Super-Heroes', very few say 'eat it Grandpa!'.

Craving something more classic, I moved onto the Legion Secret Origin book when my reviews of the Threeboot book ended.

But this is hardly a classic take on the beginning of the team. Writer Paul Levitz took a sort of tangential look at the team's origins. Outside of a very endearing Phantom Girl, the book isn't particularly grabbing. When people hear 'Legion of Super-Heroes', they don't think of the United Planets Security Directorate and the Time Trapper's wormhole army.

So what do people think of?

I think people think of this. They think of the Levitz Giffen run. They think of the high water mark.

And for me, this run - from The Great Darkness Saga through the Baxter run - is just incredible. And the issues from 301-313 represent an interesting turning point. Levitz is universe building here. Subplots that have been percolating come to a full simmer here. Supergirl guest stars! And Giffen's art undergoes it's first metamorphosis right around issue 307.

So get ready for some months of classic Legion of Super-Heroes, served up Anj-style.

4 comments:

The first Legion story I read, quite at random I might add, was Superboy #198, "The Fatal Five that Twisted Time" I read it in 2015. All the versions of the Legion are like a clueless puzzle to me at times.

I have determined that no matter which version of the Legion you liked (and I've read all of them now) ... it only matters what will sell, and currently, nothing is. But I will read your take on this. I love hearing things from a different angle than my own. And no offense - but from someone who was alive, waaaay back then, before I was ever born.

Siskoid, I love this year as much as the preceding. Things were firing on all cylinders. I think 304 was your first, right? I love that issue too. And 305. Epitomizes the universe building they were doing.

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About The Super Bloggers

Three naive and innocent travelers of the world-wide-web were minding their own business when super-star industrialist the Irredeemable Shag called out to them in his super-hypnotic voice with a mission! And thus Bilingual Boy, Metropolis Kid, and Kord Kid answered the call and thus The Legion of Super-Bloggers was born! (And it was good!)

As soon as we incorporated, we reached out for more super-aliens to fill our ranks. We asked Siskoid Five,The Duo Davids,and Dr. Anjto join so we would have a true Legion-on-Legion... because, ya know, it takes a Legion to write about the Future!

Banded together from the farthest reaches of the galaxy (or atleast the internet), we have vowed since Autumn 2014 to celebrate one of the greatest super-hero franchises in the history of comics!

And just like the "real" Legion, we have had some membership changes along the way. We have added new members. Others have taken on reserve status. Some have traveled to Marzal. And yes, some members have even passed on (but not in the line of duty!) Newer members have included Legionnaire Lad,Myk-El, Continuity Kid,Shotgun, Sarcasm Kid, Nostalgic Kid,Articulated Lad, Ultra Fan, and Anachronistic Kid! Heroes All!!

So if you are new to this time-period and these outer worlds, sit back and enjoy meeting these great characters and concepts for the first time.

If you are already a Legion fan, join in the conversations about which version is best, and why!

We hope to have something for everybody, as we reminisce about the various futures we can all look forward to!

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